Fear of the Future
by Pikatwig
Summary: After another night of a nightmare, Steven shares what's happened in his dreams to the Crystal Gems and they take action... (One-Shot)


(Originally Began: August 4th, 2016)

So… the 100th episode was today. This story will contain spoilers for that episode, so if you want to avoid spoilers don't read this.

Bismuth was quite the interesting character I'll admit, though I could see her looking for some revenge for what happened… so… this came to be. Just another Steven Universe one-shot is all.

Steven Universe belongs to Rebecca Sugar, Cartoon Network and the like.

* * *

It had been three days since the incident with Bismuth and things had been relatively quiet since then. Pearl and Garnet were both mourning their lost friend, while Amethyst was worried about what had happened with Jasper, as for Steven? Well…

Steven had been wide awake on his bed with a worried look on his face, cuddling MC Bearbear as close as he could, and was staring at the ceiling. He had managed to fall asleep, but he came tumbling out of his bed, catching the attention of the Gems.

"Steven!" Pearl gasped as she rushed over to make sure he was okay.

Steven summoned his shield and looked around, before he slowly realized it was just a dream, "It was just a nightmare…"

"A nightmare?" Pearl blinked.

"It's basically a super scary dream…" Steven explained laconically.

"Didn't you have one the past two nights?" Amethyst asked as she hung down from the ledge where Steven's bed and and TV were both at, with Steven nodding in response, "Rough,"

"What happened?" Pearl asked.

Steven buried his face into his knees as he curled up into a ball. Suddenly, his gem glowed and the symbol on the door did the same. Steven saw this and motioned to the door, the four entering it and were in a room engulfed in pink clouds.

"Room… show them my dream…" Steven requested hesitantly.

The room took on the appearance of the home, but it was mid-early morning.

" _Lapis! Peridot!" Dream Steven smiled as he ran over to the door and opened it up, the two gems walking on in._

" _It's good to see you Steven," Dream Lapis smiled, pulling Dream Steven into a hug._

" _Amethyst, what's up?" Dream Peridot asked as she walked on over to Dream Amethyst's side, "Is there something… different about you?"_

" _Eh, nothing big," Dream Amethyst shrugged._

"I'd certainly hope she'd notice my new look…" Amethyst muttered.

 _The six began to hang out and relax with Dream Steven showing Dream Lapis and Dream Peridot the 'Crying Breakfast Friends' show and Dream Lapis liking it a little bit. Dream Peridot was then rambling about how certain characters would pair up nicely, but Dream Steven and Dream Lapis simply tuned her out._

 _Not long after Dream Peridot had stopped talking, the Dream Gems headed outside to the beach and were all relaxing._

" _Hey guys, can I suggest something?" Dream Steven asked with a smile._

" _Go ahead," Dream Pearl shrugged._

" _Why don't we play a game of volleyball?"_

" _What is this 'bolley' of which you speak?" Dream Peridot inquired._

" _Isn't it 'volley' with a 'V'?" Dream Lapis responded._

" _It's a B,"_

" _V,"_

" _B,"_

Amethyst chuckled as the two argued about it for a moment.

"So… why is this a bad dream?" Pearl inquired.

Steven was wordless as he gave a 'three, two, one' motion and then pointed towards the ocean.

 _The water began to bubble and out emerged a large orange Gem._

" _Jasper!" Dream Lapis whispered as the Gem motioned to something, causing a monster of sorts to strike at Dream Lapis and poof her._

" _Lapis," Dream Steven gasped._

 _Dream Peridot gulped nervously as she was struck by another Gem Monster. Both Gems were then carried over to Dream Jasper and she smirked wickedly._

" _Leave them alone!" Dream Amethyst yelled as she took out her whip and attempted to fight, but Dream Jasper was easily able to stop her from striking bo showing Dream Lapis' and Dream Peridot's Gems, "...shoot…"_

" _Get the runt," Dream Jasper commanded a monster, which quickly turned into a Spin Dash and easily poofed Dream Amethyst._

 _Dream Pearl and Dream Garnet charged forward, but Dream Pearl was easily beaten by a single punch from a Gem Mutant that had four arms and no head while Dream Garnet was struck down by the Gem Destabilizer, leaving Dream Steven the only one left._

" _Show me where you harvest defeated Gems!" Dream Jasper ordered._

" _...why should I?" Dream Steven nervously responded._

 _Dream Jasper simply scoffed and began to attempt to crack Dream Lapis' Gem._

" _OK! OK! OK! I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE IT IS!" Dream Steven responded._

"Would you actually give up the location if we were in that situation?" Amethyst asked, but Steven simply stared at the ground and didn't respond, "...I see…"

 _The Quartz smirked and began to pop bubbles and allow Gem Monsters to be freed, before getting to a certain Gem and freeing it. The Gem then quickly respawned into a Gem with rainbow hair and various tattoos._

" _A Bismuth?" Dream Jasper blinked a bit._

" _Huh… didn't expect this…" Dream Bismuth admitted as she turned to Dream Steven, "Why did you let me out?"_

" _I didn't…"_

" _I did." Dream Jasper wickedly smiled as Dream Bismuth turned to her._

" _Oh… hello… thank you, I suppose?"_

 _Dream Steven nervously gulped as he attempted to summon his shield, but was simply to paralyzed with fear to do anything. He could see that Dream Bismuth and Dream Jasper were talking though he couldn't make out what it was they were saying. The conversation between the two large Dream Gems ended with Dream Bismuth glaring towards Dream Steven and then turning to Dream Jasper, with Dream Steven recognizing how Dream Bismuth had turned towards Dream Jasper "...oh no…"_

 _The two Dream Gems then glowed and phased into each-other. Once the lights had faded, Dream Steven looked and saw a Gem that was almost as tall as the room that mostly resembled Dream Jasper but was a dull gray color, had Dream Bismuth's hair style and colors, large hands that were almost as big as Garnet's gauntlets, and a cape that was clearly Bismuth's apron repurposed. The large Dream Gem then turned to face Dream Steven, revealing both Dream Jasper's Gem and Dream Bismuth's Gem._

 _Dream Steven quickly raised up his shield to try and defend himself from strikes that came from the large Gem, but he was easily disarmed and then…_

The room returned to normal as the door opened up and Steven simply walked out.

"I guess that's when you woke up?" Amethyst figured, earning a nod.

"Steven, I highly doubt that Bismuth would ever join up with Jasper if we ever did let her out…" Pearl commented, "But… uh… why was there a Gem Mutant?"

Steven thought for a moment before he recalled something, "...Jasper fall into a crevice..."

"You worried Jasper might've disrupt the Cluster?" Garnet asked, which Steven nodded at, "I don't think Jasper has the mental fortitude to pull that off."

"...we don't know the full extent of whatever Jasper is planning. She could've mess with the Cluster for all we know…" Steven nervously responded.

Both Amethyst and Pearl were silent in response as they realized that Steven did have a point.

"...I'll be back in a bit," Garnet told them as she headed to the Warp Pad and teleported off.

* * *

Steven, Pearl and Amethyst all sat and waited for Garnet to return. After what felt almost like an eternity the Warp Pad glowed and Garnet teleported in alongside Lapis and Peridot.

"What's a dream again?" Peridot asked.

"I'll explain it to you again in a minute…" Garnet responded as she turned to Steven, Pearl and Amethyst, "Steven has the ability to link to other dreams. So if he links us all into his dream, we should be able to pose a threat to anything there…"

"But, how are we going to do that?" Lapis inquired.

"Linking up," Garnet commented.

"You mean… Fusion?" Peridot blinked, blushing a bit.

"No… I meant like we just hold onto each-other's hands and see if that links us into Steven's dream,"

* * *

Thus, the six all got onto the floor to sleep together as best they could, everybody hand-in-hand. Steven watched as Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst and Peridot all conked out, but both himself and Lapis were still awake.

"Something up?" Steven asked.

"...the roof…" Lapis responded.

"I meant is there something wrong…"

"Just kinda thinking is all. But… I promise I'll help you however I can."

"Thank you..."

Lapis gave a soft giggle before she just smiled to Steven and they both dozed off.

* * *

" _Did it work?" Lapis asked as she, Peridot, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl walked around what looked to be Beach City, "I think we're still awake."_

" _I can assure you that we're dreamin'," Amethyst responded quickly as she pointed to the Dream Gem that was now holding Steven and attempting to strangle him._

" _Steven!" Lapis and Peridot gasped in worry._

 _The Dream Gem simply continued to give an evil laugh, "Fall before the might of Topaz and shatter, Rose Quartz!"_

" _That's definitely Jasper…" Lapis growled as she raised the ocean water to grab Topaz's four arms, freeing Steven in the process, but Topaz easily broke out of the water chains that held her back, "What?!"_

" _Uh-uh… can't use the same trick twice…" Topaz smirked as she snapped her fingers and had Gem Monsters charge towards the six._

" _Guys, run!" Steven yelled, but Garnet easily smacked one of the Gem Monsters away._

" _I think you'll find the genuine articles much more powerful than some dream copies," Garnet smirked as she charged forward and began to smack Topaz in the knee, "Help me out here!"_

 _Pearl and Amethyst quickly drew out their weapons and charged at Topaz, but Topaz wasn't easily phased._

" _I'm part of a former team-mate, I doubt you can beat me…"_

 _A bright glow occurred and Opal stood before Topaz, "Wanna bet?"_

" _Oh please, a runt and a slave girl can't stop me!" Topaz yelled before a powerful water blast hit her in the face, "What the…?"_

 _Everybody turned to see a Gem that had a teal dress of sorts that reached down to the ground and dragged a bit, light white hair that was both long and triangular, a visor atop her eyes, and a pair of gauntlets around her arms, one of them presently in place of her hand._

" _Like she said… wanna bet?" the Gem said in both Lapis' and Peridot's voices, before blinking at looking at herself, "Wait… what the…?"_

" _You two fused?" Garnet gawked, before smiling and giving a thumbs up "Nice job Peridot."_

" _How did we do this?" the Fusion gawked in Peridot's voice._

 _Topaz began to laugh at this before summoning Jasper's war-helmet and wrapping it around the newly fused Gem, "A terraformer and a runt that's only job is to analyze things. This is even sadder than just a simple war machine and the runt blended with the slave girl!"_

" _Density… low… easily freezable…" the Fusion blinked, now in a voice that wasn't Lapis' or Peridot's, as she used water to adjust a dial on one of the gauntlets and used it to freeze the helmet, easily allowing Opal to shatter it with her bow, "...nice."_

 _Garnet could only thumbs up her fellow Fusions and smile, before she was quickly struck by what appeared to be a Gem Destabilizer. Garnet was slowly glowing and sparking, but she was able to overpower the device and break it with her gauntlet._

" _Like you said… same trick won't work twice!" Garnet yelled as she uppercutted Topaz in the face._

" _Go Crystal Gems!" Steven cheered, earning smiles from the three Fusions on his side._

" _SHUT IT!" Topaz yelled, making Steven whimper a bit. Topaz then had a Gem Monster, similar to the one that Jasper was commanding when she battled Stevonnie. The monster charged and smacked right into Opal, sending her tumbling into Garnet and into the sand near the temple, "Heheh…"_

" _Analysis…" Peridot's voice spoke from the fused state._

" _We don't have time for that, we gotta fight…" Lapis' responded._

" _I have a theory, just one minute…"_

 _Lapis' voice groaned as she made an ice barrier around herself, wordlessly telling Peridot she had her minute. The Fusion looked over the info they had before flying out of the ice._

" _So… I know what those two are… what about you?" Topaz asked._

" _She's an Emerald…" Steven meekly responded._

" _Shut it!"_

" _Don't tell him to shut up!" the Fusion, Emerald, yelled in her voice that was neither Peridot's or Lapis', "Leave him alone Jasper…"_

" _I know you're scared of me more than he is…" Topaz smirked before Emerald was able to figure out something. However, before Emerald would say a word, Topaz was smacked backwards by Alexandrite._

 _Alexandrite let out a monster like roar and began to heavily punch Topaz with her six hands, but Topaz managed to shift her body into a sort of defensive form and then strike with her helmet, "Why did you join her Bismuth? She's aligned with Homeworld!"_

 _Topaz was silent as she had the Gem Monster strike and then fused with it, turning into a centaur like creature with even longer hair that turned white after a bit, and was now armed with claws along with her large hands._

" _I think I figured out how this nightmare is getting so powerful!" Emerald yelled as she turned to Steven, "It's because it's Steven's dream. His fear must be powering her up!"_

" _What?" Alexandrite blinked._

" _She just keeps getting stronger and stronger every time Steven gets scared!"_

 _Alexandrite then recalled Steven's dream from earlier that evening and realized Emerald was right._

" _Steven! You need to stop being so scared!" Alexandrite yelled._

" _...how?" Steven whimpered as Alexandrite was tackled by the Centaur Topaz._

" _You shouldn't yell at him," Emerald said in Lapis' voice, "Steven, please, you need to stop being scared…"_

" _I can't…" Steven whimpered._

" _Why not?" Peridot asked._

" _I just can't…"_

" _But why?"_

" _I can't!"_

" _Why?!" both Emerald and Alexandrite demanded to know._

" _BECAUSE I'M SCARED THIS IS REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!"_

 _Both Fused Gems stared at Steven for a moment as he was now in tears._

" _Steven… I…" Emerald blinked a bit._

" _Mind helping me a little here?!" Alexandrite asked as she was shoved into the water again._

" _Lapis, you got this?" Peridot's voice asked._

" _You focus on attack," Lapis' voice responded._

 _Emerald then summoned up a bit of water into a construct of Lapis while Emerald began to fire ice shots at Centaur Topaz._

" _...why do you think that?" the construct of Lapis asked._

" _...we don't know what happened to Jasper. She could find out where I live and try to get to the monsters that we have bubbled… she is trying to make a Gem Monster army after all…"_

" _While that Bismuth girl may scare me… I'd face her if I had to. And Jasper? ...if I could help it, I'd keep you safe no matter what…"_

" _...thank you," Steven smiled._

 _Centaur Topaz split apart and then simply became Topaz again._

" _...so… how did you fuse?" Alexandrite couldn't help but ask Emerald as she punched Topaz into the air._

" _We don't know. We just… did."_

" _I… think I might've done it. So maybe…" Steven muttered as he thought hard, causing Emerald and Alexandrite to go flying towards each-other and blend together._

 _The newly fused Gem stood almost as tall as a Diamond, with five sets of arms, a larger visor, purple shades added into the form, an additional set of legs, more hair near the top, and wings._

" _Tanzanite…" Steven gawked._

 _The fused Gem, Tanzanite, blinked a bit but chose to go along with the name as she charged towards Topaz and sent her flying into the air._

" _Go Crystal Gems!" Steven cheered happily._

" _Shut your mouth!" Topaz growled._

" _Why don't you shut yours?" Tanzanite responded as she summoned Sugilite's flail and followed it up with a blast from Emerald's arm cannons._

 _Topaz remained suspended in mid-air as Tanzanite readied Opal's bow._

" _...you two should spend some time apart…" she growled before firing the bow at Topaz and splitting her back into Jasper and Bismuth, the two Gems colliding with the water and poofing. Tanzanite then bubbled them both and collapsed onto the ground, splitting up into five Gems._

" _...let's not actually do that in real life unless we have no other options…" Lapis quickly commented._

" _Agreed," Peridot nodded, earning nods from the other Gems as Steven ran over and happily hugged them all._

" _You did it!" Steven smiled._

" _All thanks to you," Lapis giggled._

" _Great job, Dream Master," Amethyst giggled._

" _Satisfactory doesn't even begin to cover it," Peridot added._

" _If this did ever come to pass, we would fight with all of our might," Pearl assured._

" _Trust me Steven, that future is highly unlikely. It's not impossible, but highly unlikely," Garnet informed._

 _Steven simply smiled and hugged the Gems happily…_

* * *

...yea, I'm baffled it took me as long as it did to write this… and as embarrassing as this is to admit, this isn't the only time this has happened to something I've been working on. One story has been in progress since I've been in 9th Grade… and I'm in 12th now.

Regardless, this does take place before Jasper is defeated (duh). I'll admit, I was wondering if Jasper would disrupt the Cluster, since she DID fall into a crevice. Then Alone at Sea aired and pushed that away. And then came Crack the Whip, where we saw Jasper's newest plan, and if she found out where Steven lived before she got corrupted… there's an easy army there.

I don't know if we'll ever see Bismuth again, it's possible, but unlikely. Sides, her voice actress will be busy with the MLP Movie… oh yea. Whoever voiced Bismuth, I'm sorry I really don't remember her name, is doing somebody in the MLP Movie.

If I had a favorite part, it's when Alexandrite and Emerald fused and took Topaz down. That was awesome.

I hope you all enjoyed this and I do apologize for the lengthy wait for this one.

Just Live More.


End file.
